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STLT#186, Grieve Not Your Heart
I don’t know what to say about this one. It’s not that I don’t get it – I do. It’s an encapsulation of Confucianism, ending in the golden rule. It captures the nuggets of carefully measured wisdom and advice a Confucian parent doles out to their child, reminding them that the way out of chaos… Continue reading
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STLT#185, Your Mercy, Oh Eternal One
This is a devotional prayer if ever I heard one. And I suspect this text, by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, would make some Unitarian Universalists squeamish, this whole-hearted surrender to the Divine. Yet it is a vital theological perspective found in our congregations – even if those who adhere to it might not say it… Continue reading
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STLT#184, Be Ye Lamps unto Yourselves
Gentle readers, I’m in an odd place with this one. I am certain (and am glad) there are people who draw strength and inspiration from this text, a beloved (anonymously translated) passage from “Buddha’s Farewell Address” – a passage from the Mahaparinibbana Suttana. I don’t. I mean, I get what it’s about – it’s all over… Continue reading
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STLT#183, The Wind of Change Forever Blown
It may be lack of coffee. It may be lack of ease with Buddhism. It may be lack of sleep. But whatever it is I am lacking seems to be keeping me from understanding what the heck this lyric, written by Sarojini Naidu, the first female president of the Indian National Congress, is saying. It… Continue reading
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STLT#182, O, the Beauty in a Life
I was expecting this to be a difficult song to learn – enough times, that “Irregular” at the bottom of the page signals complex rhythms and intervals. Yet once I got into it, and I felt the 9/8 rhythm (which is really a glorious 3/4), the song suddenly felt familiar, in a way that makes… Continue reading
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Crazy Wisdom
Humor is a funny thing, isn’t it? Sorry – couldn’t resist. But consider what has happened in this room. I began our service with some troubling news about our institution, with a seriousness about our denomination’s ability to walk the talk when it comes to anti-racism and anti-oppression work. And then I told a funny… Continue reading
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STLT#181, No Matter If you Live Now Far or Near
Among the most meaningful compliments I’ve gotten so far about this series is from my colleague and mentor, Michael Tino, who told me about a month ago how he now turns to it when making hymn choices and how frustrated he was that I hadn’t gotten to #181 yet. I’m here now; I have never sung… Continue reading
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STLT#180, Alhamdulillah (Alleluia)
I wish… I wish I lived with someone, because I would have made them sing this round with me so I could revel in the fullness of this beautiful piece. Although there’s a good chance I would have gotten the pre-coffee stink eye, so maybe it’s just as well. I wish the hymnal indicated that… Continue reading
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STLT#179, Words That We Hold Tight
I have little to say this morning. In fact, most of what I have to say in this hurried morning will be below the lyrics. But I will say WOW, these this song is timely. I appreciate it when this spiritual practice meets the times, even I grumble going through it – because it always… Continue reading
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STLT#178, Raghupati
This morning’s practice started as it normally does, with me flipping to the page and meeting my first reaction – depending on the song, it might be one of joy, apathy, annoyance, or curiosity. Having never sung or heard this one before, curiosity won the day. Because it’s in an unfamiliar language and set to… Continue reading
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links
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